Validation Engineer salary in Pittsburgh, PA
Based on 100 certified H-1B filings in the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Allison Park, Indianola, Pittsburg, Sewickley.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $88,171 |
| 25th | $99,463 |
| 50th (median) | $116,725 |
| 75th | $127,125 |
| 90th | $181,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $91,229 | $80,884 | $99,882 | 39 |
| FY2021 | $85,000 | $81,806 | $100,000 | 52 |
| FY2022 | $97,217 | $80,933 | $117,437 | 66 |
| FY2023 | $100,000 | $85,109 | $122,500 | 39 |
| FY2024 | $100,971 | $84,365 | $114,906 | 32 |
| FY2025 | $106,059 | $95,000 | $123,926 | 45 |
| FY2026 | $123,926 | $102,855 | $135,000 | 55 |
Cost of living
Pittsburgh's median Validation Engineer salary of $116,725 is worth about $123,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Pittsburgh = 94.7).
Compared with all workers here
All Validation Engineers in the Pittsburgh, PA area earned a median of $112,420 in May 2025 (870 employed). The H-1B median here is $116,725, 4% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Mellon University | $97,850 | 12 |
| Motional AD | $141,963 | 10 |
| Aurora Operations | too few | 9 |
| Field AI | too few | 8 |
| Near Earth Autonomy | too few | 8 |
| Gather AI | too few | 4 |
| Onward Robotics (f/k/a IAM ROBOTICS, INC.) | too few | 4 |
| Smith & Nephew | too few | 4 |
| Agility Robotics | too few | 3 |
| BrightSharks Engineering Services | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $97,638 | 16 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,500 | 38 |
| Senior · Level III | $110,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $145,000 | 24 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $76,773 | $97,638 | 16 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $81,494 | $104,500 | 38 |
| Senior · Level III | $102,710 | $110,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $123,926 | $145,000 | 24 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.